- CIHEAM Zaragoza and ICARDA organise an advanced course to boost digital transformation and climate-smart Mediterranean agriculture
CIHEAM Zaragoza and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) organised the advanced course “Agriculture 5.0: leading the future of agricultural productivity and sustainability in the Mediterranean” from 24 to 29 November 2025. The course brought together 30 professionals from 11 countries across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, who participated both in person and online.
Emerging technologies such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) require skilled professionals capable of leading the transition towards more productive, sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. The course provided participants with a comprehensive overview of these tools and approaches through practical case studies and operational applications, with a strong focus on Mediterranean agriculture and data-based decision-making.
The programme was delivered by experts from universities, research centres, public administrations, international organisations, and private companies, including the Higher Polytechnic School of Huesca–LAMGRI, Hochschule Geisenheim University, University of Cordoba, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Seville, the Technological Institute of Aragon, ICARDA, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain, GEODIM, the Climate Research Foundation, and Cajamar Foundation. Together, they offered a broad and highly specialised perspective on the digital and sustainable transformation of agriculture.
Comprehensive training: theory, practice, case studies and field visit
Over six intensive training days, theoretical sessions were combined with hands-on exercises and case studies. Participants gained experience in the use of IoT devices for real-time farm monitoring, data-driven crop management tools for yield prediction, precision farming techniques in rainfed systems, robotics for crop management and protection, as well as strategies for climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Researchers from the Agricultural Robotics Lab of the Polytechnic University of Valencia gave a live demonstration of a robotic dragon-fruit harvesting system. The prototype operated in two navigation modes using different arm positions to identify and harvest fruit safely and efficiently.
The programme also included a field visit to the MountainCherry orchards in Olvés (Zaragoza) to see the cherry varieties growing at 1000 metres above sea level. Agricultural engineer Antonio García Romea explained the orchard design and the use of multipurpose netting to protect trees from hail, strong winds, and frost, and described the rapid shift from traditional rainfed crops to irrigated precision farming that has taken place in the region over the past twenty years.
Impact on Mediterranean agriculture
The course offered an integrated vision of how innovative technologies, smart methodologies and climate-resilient strategies can transform agriculture in Mediterranean contexts, boosting productivity while enhancing the sustainability and resilience of the farming systems. The modules on climate-smart agriculture and development of climate-resistant crop systems were particularly relevant for the arid regions of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, supporting adaptation to climate change.
Twenty-three of the thirty participants came from the southern and eastern Mediterranean (Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Türkiye). They exchanged experiences, discussed shared challenges, and learnt to create strategic roadmaps to be implemented in the Mediterranean.
The modules focusing on policy frameworks and strategic roadmaps are expected to facilitate the implementation of Agriculture 5.0 approaches at national level within the CIHEAM Member States.